Process for refining fiber and deriving chemical co-products from biomass

ABSTRACT

The invention herein disclosed and claimed is a process for refining fiber from lignocellulosic biomass. The process provides refined fiber and agriculturally amenable co-products, with a virtually waste-free systems design.

This application discloses and claims only subject matter disclosed inprior application Ser. No. 16/558,094, filed Aug. 31, 2019, and claimsonly subject matter directed to an invention that is independent anddistinct from that claimed in the prior application.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention is a process for refining fiber from lignocellulosicbiomass.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The world is experiencing increasing human populations, increasing ratesof fiber consumption, and dwindling natural resources. Cotton, theworld's dominant natural fiber for textiles, now competes with foodcrops in a world where per capita farmland stands at half the level 50years ago. Non-biodegradable petroleum-based fibers now dominate textilemarkets, and are positioned for continued rapid expansion, but criticalconcerns over air, land, and water pollution caused by this industry arecausing widespread opposition. Wood, the dominant source for paper andother pulp products, cannot supply predicted growth trends withoutthreatening wildlife habitats, and destroying the world's much neededoxygen sources.

The world needs alternative fiber sources to deal with these pressingproblems. Non-cotton, non-wood natural fibers may provide one solution,especially when sourced from waste products of the food industry. Inorder for such alternative natural fibers to enter the marketplace, theyhave to be refined using wet chemistry to eliminate non-fiber naturalcomponents. Lignocellulosic biomass residues comprise the largest sourceof available but unused fibers. Such biomass sources typically containlong, repeating units of “bast” fibers. These bast fibers must berefined to remove the gummy interstices gluing cellulosic fiber units tonon-fibrous tissues and the fiber bundles to each other. Prior artrefining liquors, typically based on alkaline chemicals, comprise highlevels of sodium cations. After use, the associated spent fiber refiningliquors (FRLs) require large infrastructure, energy, and expense tomanage.

The need is growing for additional sources of fiber; and for efficient,resource-conserving, and inexpensive processes for extracting andrefining those fibers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The process invention herein disclosed and claimed can reduce processpollution issues, provides reuse of process chemicals in subsequentprocess steps, and agriculturally amenable co-products that can be usedas nutrients for food crops as well as for new biomass from which fibermay be extracted and refined.

In this process invention, and all its embodiments, the refined fiberproducts are essentially the same. However, by slightly modifying theprocess, one can yield a rich variety of co-products, some of which canbe reused for the process; others of which have value for agriculturaluse.

The core process comprises refining the fiber using an FRL thatessentially removes the gummy inter-fiber interstices. The spent FRLthat remains after the process concludes, because of the FRL's makeup,may yield useful co-products amenable to agriculture.

Where the process is augmented, the spent FRL can be treated to providean even greater variety of co-products, some of which can be reused forsubsequent process steps. Where the process is augmented with combustionsub-processes, the heat may be used for energy-requiring process steps.

Different embodiments of the process yield different combinations ofco-products. Thus, the process can be tailored to provide optimallyefficient processing and a partially self-sustaining process by virtueof energy and derived chemical reuse. It can also be tailored to thegeographical, economic and national constraints that exist in locationswherein the process is practiced.

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the process beginning with lignocellulosicbiomass, refining said biomass with a first FRL, with alkaline chemicalswithin said FRL comprising potassium cations, and calcium and/ormagnesium cations, in which the alkaline chemicals within the FRLcontains no more than 30 percent sodium cations, and ending with refinedfiber and spent FRL co-products

FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the process beginning with lignocellulosicbiomass, refining said biomass with a second FRL, with alkalinechemicals within said FRL comprising a minimum of 70 percent from atleast one of the group of potassium, ammonium, calcium, and magnesiumcations, in which the alkaline chemicals within said second FRL containno more than 30 percent sodium cations, producing refined fiber and aspent FRL; and treating said FRL with a non-carbonic short-chaincarboxylic acid; and capturing carboxylate salts and other co-productsfrom the treated spent FRL.

FIG. 3 shows a process as in FIG. 1 wherein the first FRL comprises nomore than 30 percent sodium cations, at least 50 percent potassiumcations, and calcium and/or magnesium cations.

FIG. 4 shows a process as in FIG. 1 wherein the first FRL comprises nomore than 30 percent sodium cations, at least 50 percent potassiumcations and 20-50 percent of calcium cations.

FIG. 5 shows a process as in FIG. 1 wherein the first FRL comprises nomore than 30 percent sodium cations, at least 50 percent potassiumcations and 20-50 percent magnesium cations.

FIG. 6 shows a process as in FIG. 1 wherein the first FRL comprises nomore than 30 percent sodium cations, at least 50 percent potassiumcations and 20-50 percent combination of calcium and magnesium cations.

FIG. 7 shows a process as in FIG. 1 wherein the first FRL furthercomprises biomass-derived alkaline chemicals, with the 30 percent limiton sodium cations, comprising a minimum of 50 percent of potassium andcations from both calcium and magnesium.

FIG. 8 shows a process as in FIG. 1 with hydrogen peroxide and potassiumsilicate added to the fiber refining step.

FIG. 9 shows a process as in FIG. 2 with hydrogen peroxide and potassiumsilicate added to the fiber refining step.

FIG. 10 shows a process as in FIG. 1 with a non-water biodegradablesolvent added to a fiber refining step.

FIG. 11 shows a process as in FIG. 2 with a non-water biodegradablesolvent added to a fiber refining step.

FIG. 12 shows a process wherein a second FRL, as described in FIG. 2 isused, wherein the fiber refining process includes extracting silica,minerals, and other organic matter from a non-wood lignocellulosicbiomass source, resulting in a semi-refined fiber, and a spent FRLcontaining silica, minerals, and organic matter; and capturingcoproducts from the spent said FRL; and, a second fiber refining step,with the semi-refined fiber as the raw material, using a non-waterbiodegradable solvent to remove lignin from said fiber; and resulting inrefined fiber and spent FRL containing lignin; and capturing a ligninco-product.

FIG. 13 shows a process as in FIG. 1 wherein spent FRL is treated withnon-carbonic carboxylic acid for neutralizing and thereby yieldingcarboxylate salt and other co-products.

FIG. 14 shows a process as in FIG. 13 wherein the treated spent FRL isneutralized for a pH range between 5.6 and 8.5.

FIG. 15 shows a process as in FIG. 2 wherein the non-carbonic carboxylicacid is derived from pyroligneous acid.

FIG. 16 shows a process as in FIG. 2 wherein spent FRL is treated withbiomass-derived, non-carbonic, short-chain carboxylic acid.

FIG. 17 shows a process as FIG. 16 wherein spent FRL is treated usingbiomass-derived acetic and formic acid blend, wherein the blend isshort-chain non-carbonic carboxylic acid.

FIG. 18 shows a process as FIG. 1 wherein spent FRL is treated withcarbonic acid derived from combustion of a fuel wherein energy andcarbon dioxide are produced and wherein the energy can be used forenergy-requiring process steps and the carbon dioxide is used to derivesaid carbonic acid

In FIG. 19 a process embodiment is shown wherein the second FRL, asdescribed in FIG. 2 , after refining a lignocellulosic biomass, resultsin a spent FRL which is treated with carbonic acid derived fromcombustion of biomass, wherein energy and carbon dioxide are producedand wherein the energy can be used for energy-requiring process stepsand the carbon dioxide is used to derive said carbonic acid.

FIG. 20 shows a process as in FIG. 7 wherein alkali leachate is used asthe FRL, further limiting the formula of such first FRL to a minimum of50% potassium cations, and a blend of both calcium and magnesiumcations, for refinement of fiber, and the alkali leachate is derivedfrom pyrolysis of non-wood biomass producing pyrolysis char which whenleached produces said alkali leachate.

FIG. 21 shows a process as in FIG. 20 wherein leached char co-product iscombusted producing heat energy which can be used for energy-requiringprocess steps.

FIG. 22 shows a process as in FIG. 20 wherein a bio-gas co-productproduced from pyrolysis of non-wood biomass is combusted producing heatenergy for energy-requiring process steps.

FIG. 23 shows a process as in FIG. 20 wherein the leached charco-product is subject to a second leaching step in which an alkalisolution, composed of the second FRL as described in FIG. 2 , is usedfor said second leaching, producing an alkali silicate solution andreduced-silica char co-products, and in which said alkali silicatesolution may be used as an additional fiber refining medium

FIG. 24 shows a process as in FIG. 20 wherein the alkali leachate isused for fiber refining, and also is used for a second leaching of theleached char co-product, producing an alkali silicate solution and areduced silica char co-product; and in which said alkali silicatesolution may be used as an additional fiber refining medium.

FIG. 25 shows a process as in FIG. 23 wherein reduced-silica char iscombusted producing heat energy for energy-requiring process steps.

FIG. 26 shows a process as in FIG. 20 wherein pyroligneous acid isderived as a co-product from pyrolysis of non-wood biomass.

FIG. 27 shows a process as in FIG. 26 wherein the pyroligneous acid isadded during a spent FRL treatment resulting in captured carboxylatesalts and other co-products.

FIG. 28 shows a process as in FIG. 26 wherein pyroligneous acid isseparated deriving non-carbonic short-chain carboxylic acid.

FIG. 29 shows a process as in FIG. 28 wherein the non-carboniccarboxylic acid is adding during a spent FRL treatment resulting incarboxylate salts and other co-products.

FIG. 30 shows a process as FIG. 26 wherein pyroligneous acid isseparated to yield furfural.

FIG. 31 shows a process as in FIG. 30 wherein furfural is used for fiberrefinement.

FIG. 32 shows a process as in FIG. 30 wherein furfural is hydrogenatedyielding a furfural derivative.

FIG. 33 shows a process as in FIG. 32 wherein furfural derivative isused for refinement of fiber.

FIG. 34 shows a process as in FIG. 20 wherein non-wood, non-bastlignocellulosic biomass tissue is used for pyrolysis and bast tissue isused as the source of fiber for fiber refinement.

FIG. 35 shows a process embodiment wherein the raw material is fibrousbiomass, and the alkaline FRL is essentially biomass derived accordingto the limitations of the second FRL described in FIG. 2 . In treatingspent FRL, an essentially biomass-derived acid is used.

FIG. 36 shows a process as in FIG. 35 wherein alkali FRL is essentiallyderived from non-wood non-bast lignocellulosic biomass tissue; spent FRLchemicals are essentially derived from non-wood non-bast lignocellulosicbiomass tissue; and fiber for refinement is sourced from non-wood bastlignocellulosic biomass tissue.

FIG. 37 shows an embodiment of the process, beginning withlignocellulosic biomass, refining said biomass with an alkaline FRLcomprising a maximum of 30 percent sodium cations, and the balance ofalkali cations essentially comprising cations from the group potassium,calcium, magnesium, and ammonium; wherein the fiber refining processincludes the extraction of lignin; resulting in refined fiber and aspent FRL containing a cation/lignin matrix yielding co-products. Inaddition, the spent FRL may be filtered to remove cation/lignin matrixusing pyrolysis char as the filter medium, thus yielding cation/lignininfused char and treated FRL solution which may be reused for fiberrefinement.

FIG. 38 shows a process as in FIG. 37 wherein the fiber refining processincludes the extraction of lignin, other organic matter, and minerals;and the spent FRL comprises a cation/lignin matrix, organic andinorganic acid salts and organic matter yielding co-products. The spentFRL may be treated by filtering using pyrolysis char as the filtermedium yielding cation/lignin infused char plus spent FRL with organicacid salts, inorganic salts and organic matter. This treated spent FRLmay be physically separated to yield a treated spent FRL which may bereused for fiber refinement, and co-products comprising organic andinorganic salts and organic matter.

FIG. 39 shows a process as in FIG. 38 wherein the organic and inorganicsalts and organic matter co-products are combined with cation/lignininfused char yielding a cation/lignin, organic salt, inorganic salts,and organic matter and char matrix.

FIG. 40 shows an embodiment of the process beginning with non-woodlignocellulosic biomass, refining said biomass with an alkaline FRLcomprising a maximum of 30 percent sodium cations, and the balance ofalkali cations essentially composed of cations from the group includingpotassium, calcium, magnesium, and ammonium, wherein the fiber refiningprocess includes the extraction of silica, resulting in refined fiberand a spent FRL containing alkaline silicate; and treating said spentFRL by combining with acid essentially from the group includingcarboxylic acid, phosphoric acid, nitric acid, sulfuric acid in such away to forming salts and a silica gel within the treated spent FRL; andin which the components of such a treated spent FRL may additionally beseparation from solution to create a reusable FRL solution and asalt/silica gel matrix; and in which the salt/silica gel matrix mayadditionally be dried to form a dehydrated salt/silica gel matrix.

FIG. 41 shows a process as in FIG. 40 wherein the fiber refining processincludes the extraction of both lignin and silica, resulting in refinedfiber and a spent FRL containing both a alkaline silicate and acation/lignin matrix; and wherein the spent FRL is filtered withpyrolysis char to extract lignin thereby producing a cation/lignininfused char and a reduced cation/lignin treated spent FRL containingalkali silicate; and in which such treated spent FRL may be additionallytreated by combining with an agriculturally compatible acid in such away to form salts and a silica gel within the treated spent FRL; and inwhich this double treated spent FRL containing a salt/silica gel matrixmay be separated from solution creating a re-usable FRL solution and asalt/silica gel matrix co-product; and which said salt/silica gel matrixco-product may additionally be combined with said cation/lignin infusedchar matrix to create a salt/silica gel/cation/lignin/char matrix; andin which such a salt/silica gel/cation/lignin /char matrix may beadditionally dehydrated to form a dehydrated salt/silicagel/cation/lignin/char matrix.

FIG. 42 shows a process as in FIG. 20 , in which the refining processincludes the extraction of lignin, and in which the spent FRL contains amineral/lignin matrix which may be used to extract co-products. Inaddition, the spent FRL may be filtered to remove mineral/lignin matrixusing said pyrolysis char as the filter medium, thus yieldingmineral/lignin infused char and treated FRL solution which may be reusedfor fiber refinement.

FIG. 43 shows a process as in FIG. 42 , in which the refining processincludes the extraction of lignin, other organic matter, and minerals,and in which the spent FRL contains a mineral/lignin matrix, organicacid salts, inorganic acid salts, and organic matter. This spent FRL maybe used to extract co-products. In addition, the spent FRL may befiltered to remove mineral/lignin matrix using said pyrolysis char asthe filter medium, thus yielding mineral/lignin infused char and treatedFRL solution containing organic acid salts, in organic acid salts, andorganic matter; and such a treated FRL may additionally be treated toremove organic acid salts, inorganic acid salts, and organic matterco-products and a re-usable FRL solution.

FIG. 44 shows a process as in FIG. 43 wherein the mineral/lignin infusedchar matrix is combined with the organic acid salts, inorganic acidsalts and organic matter to produce an organic acid, inorganic acid,organic matter, mineral/lignin, char matrix.

FIG. 45 shows a process as in FIG. 20 wherein the fiber refining processincludes the extraction of silica, resulting in refined fiber and aspent FRL containing alkaline silicate; and in which the spent FRL istreated by combining with carboxylic acid derived as co-product fromsaid pyrolysis process creating a spent FRL comprising carboxylatesalts, in which co-products may be captured from such solution.Additionally, a gel may be formed from the silica in solution,incorporating such salts, and separated from solution, creating acarboxylate salt/gel matrix and a re-usable FRL solution. In addition,the carboxylate salt/gel matrix may be dehydrated to create a dehydratedcarboxylate salt/silica gel matrix.

FIG. 46 shows a process as in FIG. 45 wherein the fiber refining processincludes the extraction of both lignin and silica, resulting in refinedfiber and a spent FRL containing both a alkaline silicate and amineral/lignin matrix; and wherein the spent FRL is filtered with saidpyrolysis char to extract lignin thereby producing a mineral/lignininfused char and a reduced mineral/lignin treated spent FRL containingalkali silicate; and in which such treated spent FRL may be additionallytreated by combining with carboxylic acid derived as co-product fromsaid pyrolysis, creating a double treated spent FRL containingcarboxylate salt and silica. Such treated spent FRL may undergo aprocess to form a gel from the silica component, wherein, uponseparation, a re-usable FRL solution and a salt/silica gel matrixco-product is created; and, said salt/silica gel matrix may beadditionally be combined with said mineral/lignin matrix to produce acarboxylate salt/silica gel/mineral/lignin, char matrix, whichdehydrated to form a dehydrated salt/silica gel matrix.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention is a process for extracting and refining fiber frombiomass using a novel FRL. One end result is refined fiber; the other isco-products that result from the spent FRL, and from the treatment ofsuch spent FRL.

Putting this invention process in context, the world is experiencingincreasing human populations, increasing rates of fiber consumption, anddwindling natural resources. The world needs alternative fiber sourcesto deal with these pressing problems.

Non-cotton, non-wood natural fibers may provide one solution, especiallywhen sourced from waste products of the food industry. For everykilogram of food produced globally, approximately one and a halfkilograms of food crop waste stays in the field as residue. Suchresidues have a very low rate of commercial utilization, and createenormous greenhouse gas emissions and dangerous particulate pollutionfrom burning and rotting. These residues contain cellulose fibers, infact, more fibers by far than the whole current yearly consumption ofwood, cotton, and synthetic fibers combined.

In order to bring alternative natural fibers to market in a scaled andrelevant way, many challenges must be considered, some of the mostimportant of which include transport logistics; energy, process water,and processing chemicals sourcing; and waste management. In the case ofcotton, wood, and synthetics, the fibers are high bulk density andavailable in concentrated areas, therefore the price of conglomerationand shipping is minimal. The biomass sources from which potentialalternative natural fibers derive, on the other hand, are generally lowbulk density and already spread out over large distances. This makescollection and long distance shipping expensive. Cotton, wood, andsynthetics generally need chemical wet processing before becoming afinished product. Such wet processing infrastructure exists, and islocated generally in concentrated areas with sufficient access toprocess water, wastewater treatment, grid energy, and chemicals. Fibrousbiomass residues also require chemical wet processing, but the samesupport infrastructure does not exist within most areas containing thesealternative natural fiber resources.

Current chemical wet processing methods for cotton, wood, synthetics, aswell as traditional methods used for non-wood fiber crops, such aspurpose-grown hemp or flax, rely on alkaline chemicals, comprising highlevels of sodium cations. The spent liquor of such sodium based alkalinewet processing has little to no value, and often incurs large expensesfor managing its disposal and consumes an unsustainable amount of water,treatment chemicals, and energy in so doing. Some prior art designatesthe use of alternative alkaline chemicals like those derived frompotassium or ammonium because of their compatibility with agriculturalcrops, providing a responsible waste management mechanism, but the ideaof direct irrigation with such wastewater has long been proven not to beviable because of the expense and logistics involved with transportinglarge volumes of dilute liquid residues.

In order for alternative natural fibers to enter the marketplace, theymust be refined using wet chemistry to eliminate non-fiber naturalcomponents. Lignocellulosic biomass residues comprise the largest sourceof available and unutilized fibers. Such biomass sources typicallycontaining short, repeating units of cellulose elemental fibers, whichmake bundles of “bast” fibers. These elemental fibers are bondedtogether, and bonded to non-bast cellulose tissues by gummy interstices.

A chemical wet process, hereafter referred to as fiber refining, may beused to remove some or all of such gummy interstices, and otherinorganic tissue components in order to refine the bast fibers to alength and fineness suitable for any specific end use. These fiberrefining techniques may be equally applied to blends of bast andnon-bast fibers, and to non-bast fibers alone.

The invention disclosed here is a process by which many of theassociated problems which restrict the use and growth of the alternativefiber industry may be overcome, although any of the same process mayalso be used to improve the sustainability of traditional fibers such ascotton or wood.

First, there is the issue of bulk density. Small, localized processingmay be one way to increase the bulk density of such biomass. The bastfiber portion of the dry weight of many of these waste sources falls inthe 15 to 30 percent range, whereas the pith portion falls in the 50 to60 percent range. The bast contains much longer, and more desirablefibers than the pith portion, and the bast can be compacted fortransport. A system should therefore be developed in order to locallyupgrade and ship the bast fiber components of such biomass, and toprovide high value local uses for the pith components.

In order to fit into the context of decentralized locations, without therobust manufacturing infrastructure associated with cotton, wood andsynthetics industries, an ideal process for fibrous biomass residueresources would entail conserving water through minimal usage andrecycling, manufacturing bio-mass biomass-derived chemicals onsite,creating co-products instead of waste products (especially those withrelevance for local agricultural and commercial), and generatingbio-energy on-site.

In overview, this invention process begins with biomass, refines thebiomass through chemical wet processing with an FRL to produce valuablefibers, and results in in a spent FRL with useful co-products containedtherein. Optionally, the invention process treats the spent FRLresulting in a treated spent FRL with further useful co-products. Manyof the disclosed FRL treatment embodiments also allow for easy transportand usability of the captured co-products, while at the same timeallowing for significant re-use of the chemicals, heat energy, and/orwater contained within the treated spent FRL.

The process details that follow are exemplary. They illustrate howregardless of embodiment, the refined fiber end products are essentiallythe same. However, by slightly modifying the FRL components, one canyield different co-products. And, by using some ancillary process stepsin conjunction with the main process, one can achieve a reasonable levelof self-sustainability. The upshot of the process embodiments is thatone is able to refine fiber from biomass sources, using the disclosedFRL, and obtain refined fiber and agriculturally useful co-products aswell as deriving more process chemicals from co-products. In an optimalcase where local biomass is used and nearly all process chemicals andenergy are derived from portions of that biomass, the costs can bereduced to where obtaining these alternative fibers is both profitableand environmentally friendly. In addition, the process is optimized forthe use of biomass residues from food crops to fulfill the world'sgrowing needs for alternative fiber sources, and the process not onlyreduces pollution by reducing the burning or rotting of such residues,but it also, through the process co-products, helps regenerate soilsfrom the biomass production lands.

As shown in FIG. 1 , raw material (101) is essentially lignocellulosicbiomass. The fibers contained therein are refined (103) using firstalkali FRL (102) comprising potassium cations and cations from at leastone of the alkaline earth metals, calcium and magnesium, wherein sodiumcations are a maximum of 30 percent by cation weight of the said FRL.Once the process concludes, end results comprise refined fiber (104),spent FRL (105) and spent-FRL-based co-products (106). The sodiumlimitation ensures that the spent FRL may have agriculturalapplications. Potassium, calcium, and magnesium are all agriculturallycompatible minerals. Potassium alkalis are more soluble than equivalentcalcium or magnesium alkali chemicals; and the combination cations frompotassium with one of these other minerals in a fiber refining liquorresults in a longer lasting, and more effective formula than withcations from potassium alone.

As shown in FIG. 2 , an alternative embodiment of the process alsoincludes a raw material of essentially lignocellulosic biomass. Thefibers therein are refined using a second alkali FRL (201) whereinsodium cations are a maximum of 30 percent by cation weight and aminimum 70 percent of at least one alkaline chemical containing cationsfrom the group of potassium, ammonium, calcium and magnesium cations,and in which the spent FRL is treated (203) by using non-carbonicshort-chain carboxylic acid (202) yielding a set of spent FRL-relatedco-products, including carboxylate salt. Both potassium and ammoniumcations provide nutrients essential for plant growth, and limiting theamount of sodium cations in the blend provides for a beneficialagricultural end use for the products of the spent FRL. Although calciumand magnesium cations are not needed in the same high proportion aspotassium and nitrogen (from ammonium), these alkaline earth metals arestill suitable for agricultural application, and widely used. When anyof these cations are combined with short chain non-carbonic carboxylicacids, carboxylic acid salts are formed which are highly desirable foragricultural applications because of their easy assimilation by plants,due to their low molecular weight, and because of the soil structure andsoil microorganism building function of the inorganic nutrient andorganic carbon sources contained therein. Such ammonium cations may comefrom synthetic or biomass sources, and may not necessarily be addeddirectly, but may occur due to the reaction of ammonia with water toform ammonium hydroxide, or with urea, which reacts with water to formammonia, which goes on further to form ammonium hydroxide.

As shown in FIG. 3 , the process of FIG. 1 is now limited by an alkaliFRL comprising a minimum of 50 percent cations from potassium (301) andat least one of the earth metal calcium or magnesium cations, making thesolution high in those elements having the most beneficial value forlater agricultural uses. Potassium consists of a more important elementrequired by crops compared to magnesium and calcium, thereforeco-products from the spent FRL are more useful in agriculture when thepotassium ratio is above 50 percent of the cation portion of the alkalifiber refining liquor formulation.

As shown in FIG. 4 , the process of FIG. 3 is further limited whereinthe alkali FRL (401) uses 20-50 percent calcium cations by weight of thealkali. The fiber-refining effect of the minimum 50 percent proportionof cations comprising potassium , together with the 20-50 percentcalcium cations in the blend, positively enhances the level of thestrength of the alkali, the non-cellulose matter removal rate, and thepreservation of beneficial fiber properties after refining

As shown in FIG. 5 , the process of FIG. 3 is further limited whereinthe alkali FRL (501) uses 20-50 percent magnesium cations by weight ofthe alkali, for the same reasons as discussed in relation to FIG. 4 ,since magnesium and calcium both react similarly with the sameproportion of cations of potassium in a fiber refining liquor.

As shown in FIG. 6 , the process of FIG. 3 is further limited whereinthe alkali FRL (601) uses a blend of 20-50 percent calcium and magnesiumby weight of the alkali FRL. Such a three-way formulation is effectiveas a fiber-refining formula, but the co-products derived from the spentFRL exhibit reduced amounts of both calcium and magnesium therebysupplying a blend of minerals especially suitable for agricultural use.

As shown in FIG. 7 , the process of FIG. 1 is further limited whereinthe alkali FRL (701) comprises biomass-derived alkaline chemicals and amaximum of 30 percent sodium cations, a minimum of 50 percent cationsfrom potassium cations plus a blend of calcium and magnesium cations.Traditional sources of potassium alkali are derived from thechlor-alkali process, which has the undesirable co-product of a nearlyequal amount of chlorine chemicals compared to the amount of potassiumalkali chemicals produced. By deriving potassium alkali chemicals frombiomass sources, chlorine chemical by-products may be partially orcompletely avoided and most biomass will contain a desirable blend of amajority potassium and a minority blend of calcium and magnesiumcations.

As shown in FIG. 8 , the process of FIG. 1 is further limited by addingpotassium silicate (801) and hydrogen peroxide (802) to the fiberrefining step. Alkaline silicates are known to have detergent actions,which improve the effectiveness of fiber refining liquors. Also,alkaline silicates improve the efficiency of hydrogen peroxide. Whenusing potassium silicate, these desirable effects may be achieved whileat the same time optimizing the potassium content of the spent FRL.

As shown in FIG. 9 , the process of FIG. 2 is further limited by addingpotassium silicate (901) and hydrogen peroxide (902) to the fiberrefining step. The reasoning for the usage of such chemicals follows thesame reasoning as explained in relation to FIG. 8 .

As shown in FIG. 10 , the process of FIG. 1 is further limited adding anon-water biodegradable solvent (1001) to a fiber refinement stepenhancing the refinement. Being biodegradable, such a solvent maintainsthe spent FRL's compatibility with agricultural supplements. Such asolvent may enhance the action of an alkali FRL liquor, when usedtogether, by both allowing the alkalis to more easily penetrate thetissues of the biomass for the sake of the extraction of non-cellulosiccontent. Such solvents also may extract lignin more effectively, atlower temperatures, than alkali processes alone, and may be used beforeor after alkali processes, as well as concurrently with an alkaliprocess.

As shown in FIG. 11 , the process of FIG. 2 is further limited by addingnon-water biodegradable solvent (1101) to a fiber refinement step. Theadvantages of such solvent use are the same here as with theexplanations presented in relation to FIG. 10 . Examples of non-waterbiodegradable solvent embodiments, which may be used within thisprocess, include furfural derivatives such as THFA, 2Me-THFA, andgamma-Valerolactone. Ethanol, acetone, glycerine, and mono-alkyl estersof long chain fatty acids are also simple, biodegradable solvents whichmay be effective in the process.

As shown in FIG. 12 , a process embodiment is shown using non-woodlignocellulosic biomass for fiber refining (1201), using the secondalkali FRL described in FIG. 2 (1202) of the, in which the refiningprocess causes the extraction of silica, minerals, and organic matter(1203) from such raw material, resulting in semi-refined fiber (1204)and a spent FRL (1205) comprising silica, minerals, and organic matteras a source of new co-products (1206). An additional limitation includesperforming a further fiber refinement step (1207), using non-waterbiodegradable solvent (1208) yielding refined fiber (1211) and a secondspent FRL (1209) which yields lignin co-products (1210). When asolvent-based lignin extraction step is used after said alkali fiberrefining step, the alkali fiber refining step may be carried out withotherwise lower temperature, pressure, and/or alkalinity. Also, thissequential process derives a higher quality, more pure, ligninco-product, as well as allowing for easier, more complete solventre-uses in the process. For non-wood biomass, which normally contains ahigh proportion of silica, an alkali fiber-refining step is oftennecessary. In wood processing, because of the very low silica content,solvent-based fiber-refining may be performed without an alkali fiberrefining step.

As shown in FIG. 13 , the process of FIG. 1 is further limited bytreating a portion of spent FRL (1302) with non-carbonic carboxylic acid(1301 yielding carboxylate salt and related new co-products (1303). Thisembodiment has the advantage of containing multiple essential elements,including potassium cations and at least one from the group of calciumand magnesium cations, as well as including the advantages of the soilorganic-matter building organic carbon groups contained within thenon-carbonic carboxylic acids.

As shown in FIG. 14 , the process of FIG. 13 is further limited byneutralizing the treated spent FRL such that its pH is limited to therange of 5.6 to 8.5. A pH of 5.6 to 8.5 is considered by the USDA thenormal range of moderate pH soils, and such a pH range resultant withina spent FRL allows for more complete utilization of the spent FRL andrelated co-products in agriculture.

As shown in FIG. 15 , the process of FIG. 2 is further limited by usinglignocellulosic biomass-derived pyroligneous acid (1501) for treatingspent FRL, producing related co-products. Pyroligneous acid is a mildlyacidic co-product of the destructive distillation of lignocellulosicbiomass which contains non-carbonic carboxylic acids, as well as dozensof other chemical compounds known to be beneficial as agriculturalsupplements.

As shown in FIG. 16 , the process of FIG. 2 is further limited by usingnon-carbonic short-chain carboxylic acid (1601) as a spent FRL treatmentchemical. Short chain carboxylic acids, those comprising five or lessrepeating carbons in the acid structure, can penetrate plant tissuesmore easily than larger molecules, and therefore can provide quicker andmore complete access to nutrients.

As shown in FIG. 17 , the process of FIG. 16 is further limited by usingacetic and formic acid (1701) as spent FRL treatment chemicals. Of allnon-carbonic short-chain carboxylic acids, acetic and formic acids aresome of the lowest molecular weights, and most commonly available. Theyare also easily manufactured via simple methods from lignocellulosicbiomass, making such a chemical source more available to produce as alocalized or on-site option, for more sustainable manufacturing. Theblend of acetic and formic acids commonly occur together as co-productsduring biomass chemical manufacturing, therefore such a blend is notonly convenient, but because their acid salts provide different butcomplementary plant nutrient functions, the blend also performs well foragricultural supplements.

As shown in FIG. 18 , the process of FIG. 1 is further limited bytreating spent FRL with carbonic acid (1806) resulting from combustion(1802) of fuel (1801) to produce heat energy (1803) which may be usedfor energy-requiring process steps and the carbonic acid used as a spentFRL treatment chemical. The use of combusted fuel sourced carbonic acidas a method for spent FRL provides energy and reduces emissions by usingCO, and it also sequesters carbon as a mineral-inorganic carbonstructural component of soil, when the spent FRL or its components areapplied as an agricultural supplement.

As shown in FIG. 19 , a process embodiment is shown whereinlignocellulosic biomass (1901) is refined (1903) using the secondalkaline FRL as described in FIG. 2 (1902) resulting in a refined fiber(1904) and a spent FRL (1905), from which co-products may be derived(1906). The process is further limited by treating spent FRL withcarbonic acid (1912) resulting from combustion (1908) of biomass fuel(1907) to produce heat energy (1909) which may be used forenergy-requiring process steps (1910) and the carbonic acid used as aspent FRL treatment chemical (1913), thereby producing carbonate salts.Using biomass as the fuel source further lowers the carbon footprint ofthe system, and allows for the option of more closed-loop production,whereas non-fibrous biomass components may be used for simultaneous fueland chemical production to assist in upgrading fibrous components ofbiomass.

As shown in FIG. 20 , the first FRL of FIG. 1 is further limited byusing a non-wood lignocellulosic biomass derived alkali leachate (2005),comprising a minimum of 50% potassium cations, and a blend of magnesiumcations and calcium cations, wherein the alkali leachate results frompyrolysis (2002) of non-wood lignocellulosic biomass (2001) producingpyrolysis char, which then leached (2004) to yield the alkali leachate(2005) and leached char co-products (2006). Non-wood lignocellulosicbiomass is widely available globally as a waste resource, generally as abyproduct of the harvest and processing of food crops. Such sourcescontain a much higher proportion of non-sodium cations than woodsources, and therefore alkali produced from these non-wood sources is apreferred source of alkalis for an agriculturally compatiblefiber-refining systems. Capturing biomass alkali by this method,compared to traditional methods of direct combustion of biomass, canreduce pollution and provide opportunities for carbon sequestration andthe production of many other agriculturally compatible byproducts.

As shown in FIG. 21 , the process of FIG. 20 is further limited bycombustion (2101) of leached char co-product to produce heat energy(2102) which may be used in energy-requiring process steps (2103). Themany elements removed during the leaching process can improve theefficiency and cleanliness of the combustion process. The removal ofchlorine and nitrogen during leaching helps prevent these compounds,some of the main sources of acid rain, from entering the atmosphere. Inaddition, the removal of minerals such as potassium, sodium, calcium,and magnesium during leaching helps prevent mineral scaling in the flupipes of combustion units, reducing the need for equipment maintenanceand replacement.

As shown in FIG. 22 , the process of FIG. 20 is further limited bycombusting (2202) the bio-gas (2201) produced by pyrolysis, which thenyields heat energy (2203) which may be used in energy-requiring processsteps (2204). Such bio-gas, as a co-product of the alkali chemicalproduction process, may be an efficient and clean burning energy sourcefor a sustainable fiber production system.

As shown in FIG. 23 , the process of FIG. 20 is further limited byadding an alkali solution (2301), with a composition according to secondalkaline FRL of FIG. 2 , to the char leaching process step (2302) toproduce alkali silicate solution (2303) and reduced-silica char (2304).In addition, such alkali silicate solution may itself be used for fiberrefining (2305). Non-wood biomass char will often contain high levels ofsilica. This silica is not easily extracted by water alone. Butextracting the silica with an agriculturally compatible alkali formula,a useful fiber refining chemical may be generated which fits well intothe overall system of this process.

As shown in FIG. 24 , the process of FIG. 20 further limited wherein thealkali leachate (2401) is used for fiber refining (2402), and also isused for a second leaching (2403) of the leached char co-product,producing an alkali silicate solution (2404) and a reduced silica charco-product (2405); and in which said alkali silicate solution may beused as an additional fiber refining medium

As shown in FIG. 25 , the process of FIG. 23 is further limited bycombusting (2501) the reduced-char to produce heat energy (2502) whichmay be used for energy-requiring process steps (2503). Such asilica-reduced char has the advantage of being easier to burn.Combustion of silica-content biomass causes serious flu pipe scalingproblems. Reducing the silica content of combustion fuels again lessenscosts associated with equipment repair and replacement.

As shown in FIG. 26 , the process of FIG. 20 is further limited byderiving pyroligneous acid (2601) from pyrolysis. This pyroligneousacid, as a co-product of the alkali chemical production, may be useddirectly as a useful agricultural supplement. It is a proven, effective,bio-sourced fertilizer, and insecticide, among other end uses.

As shown in FIG. 27 , the process of FIG. 26 is further limited by usingthe pyrolysis-derived pyroligneous acid as a chemical in spent FRLtreatment (2701) yielding carboxylate salt and other related co-products(2702). The benefits of pyroligneous acid as a spent FRL treatment arefurther enhanced when the source is a co-product of the alkali chemicalproduction system, thereby simultaneously gaining productionefficiencies, and increasing the sustainability of the system.

As shown in FIG. 28 , the process of FIG. 26 is further limited byseparating (2801) the pyrolysis-derived pyroligneous acid intonon-carbonic short-chain carboxylic acid. (2802). These non-carboniccarboxylic acids may be used directly as a natural and effectiveagricultural supplement, and is a valuable and useful co-product of theprocess.

As shown in FIG. 29 , the process of FIG. 28 is further limited by usingthe pyroligneous acid derived non-carbonic short chain carboxylic acidsas spent FRL treatment chemical (2901) yielding carboxylate salts andrelated co-products (2902). The use of such source of non-carbonicshort-chain carboxylic salts within the process reduces costs, improvesefficiency of the system, and provides valuable agricultural chemicals.

As shown in FIG. 30 , the process of FIG. 26 is further limited byseparating pyroligneous acid to derive furfural (3001). Such furfuralhas beneficial uses as directly as an agricultural supplement, or as acomponent in a thermoset resin. Such resins may have uses for combiningwith the fibers refined within this process to create thermoset polymermatrixes.

As shown in FIG. 31 , the process of FIG. 30 is further limited by usingthe pyrolysis-derived furfural as a fiber refinement chemical (3101).Because of the solvent properties of furfural, it may give all theadvantages previously discussed for biodegradable solvents, plus theadded efficiency, cost-savings and sustainability of being produced as aco-product of both the alkali chemical production system and thepyroligneous acid derived non-carbonic carboxylic acids.

As shown in FIG. 32 , the process of FIG. 26 is further limited byhydrogenation (3201) of furfural yielding a furfural derivative (3202).Hydrogenated derivatives of furfural are useful for solvents inagriculture. In addition, they may be also made into resins forcombining with fibers from this process.

As shown in FIG. 33 , the process of FIG. 32 is further limited by usingthe furfural derivative as a chemical in fiber refinement (3301).Hydrogenation of furfural creates solvents which have stronger solventproperties than raw furfural and are more effective than raw furfuralfor both aiding alkali cooking liquors, by helping the alkali penetrateinto the biomass tissues, and for removing non-cellulosic substances,especially lignin.

As shown in FIG. 34 , the process of FIG. 20 is further limited by usingnon-bast non-wood biomass (3401) for pyrolysis and derivation of processchemicals whereas non-wood bast biomass (3402) is essentially used asthe source of fiber for fiber refinement. Bast fibers are the longer,more valuable fibers contained within lignocellulosic biomass.Generally, lignocellulosics are made up of minority of bast fibers and amajority of non-bast fibers and other non-bast plant elements. Usingessentially the non-bast portion of biomass for energy and chemicalgeneration in order to upgrade essentially bast fibers creates a highvalue use for the non-bast portion of plants, prevents pollution fromimproper disposal, and helps to make a closed-loop system.

As shown in FIG. 35 , a process embodiment is shown wherein fibrousbiomass (3501) is refined (3503) using an essentially biomass-derivedalkaline FRL with the limitations of the second FRL described in FIG. 2(3502) resulting in a refined fiber product and a spent FRL (3504), fromwhich co-products may be derived (3506). The process is further limitedby treating spent FRL with an essentially biomass-derived acid (3508)which is agriculturally compatible. Agriculturally compatible acidsinclude carboxylic acids, sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, and nitricacid. In this embodiment, a variety of production methods may be used inorder to generate either the alkali FRL, or the spent FRL treatmentchemical. For example, if electrolysis is used to generate alkali from abiomass-salt containing solution, a variety of biomass-derived acids mayresult as co-products. In this embodiment, it is anticipated that alower market value non-wood crop residue, for example, rice straw, maybe used to upgrade a higher value crop residue, for example, hemp straw.Or, in another case, portions of a harvest of whole crop residue,containing both bast and non-bast, may be used to upgrade whole orseparated bast and non-bast from the same source of crop residue. Forexample, a portion of whole corn stover may be used for the chemicalsand energy to upgrade the fibers in another portion of whole cornstover. In another example, alkali derived from the bones or shells orother calcium-containing portion of animal products may be used toupgrade fibrous portion of animal products such as feathers or hair.

As shown in FIG. 36 , the process of FIG. 35 is further limited by usingessentially non-wood non-bast tissue (3602) from non-woodlignocellulosic biomass for FRL used in fiber refinement; and usingessentially non-bast tissue from non-wood lignocellulosic biomass (3603)for deriving acid used for spent FRL treatment; and using non-wood basttissue (3601) as the source of fiber for refinement. This embodiment isintended to cover several situations. For example, it covers a situationwherein the non-cellulosic portions of a source of biomass, for examplehemicellulose and lignin, provide the raw material for biochemicalgeneration used to upgrade both the bast and non-bast fibers of a plant.Or in another example, the non-cellulosic portions of both bast andnon-bast fibers, plus the non-bast fiber itself, may be used to upgradethe bast. In some cases, the bast and non-bast may be from the samecrop. In other cases, not.

FIG. 37 shows an embodiment of the process, beginning withlignocellulosic biomass (3701), refining said biomass in a process whichincludes the extraction of lignin (3703) via the use of an alkaline FRL(3702) comprising a maximum of 30 percent sodium cations, and thebalance of alkali cations essentially composed of cations from the groupincluding potassium, calcium, magnesium, and ammonium; resulting inrefined fiber (3704) and a spent FRL (3705) containing a cation/ligninmatrix yielding co-products (3707). In addition, the spent FRL may befiltered to remove cation/lignin matrix (3708) using pyrolysis char(3706) as the filter medium, thus yielding cation/lignin infused char(3710) and treated FRL solution which may be reused for fiber refinement(3709). This process allows for a spent FRL formulation highly desirablefor agricultural uses, because of its specific alkali cationlimitations. The alkali cations bond with lignin within the biomass,forming a cation/lignin matrix. Lignin, in spent liquor, causesdifficult wastewater management problems. Because of lignin's highviscosity, a large proportion of this substance needs to be removed fromspent liquor in order to re-use the solution. Lignin will clog mostmembrane-based filtration technologies, and if acidified to precipitatefrom solution, much of the un-spent alkali in the liquor will beconsumed, causing excessive chemical consumption. By using a pyrolysischar filtration method, membrane clogging and pH adjustment can beavoided. In addition, the carbon of the char, when infused with thismineral/lignin matrix, becomes a soil structure building, moistureholding, carbon sequestering, and slow-release fertilizer medium.

FIG. 38 shows a process as in FIG. 37 wherein the fiber refining processincludes the extraction of lignin, other organic matter, and minerals(3801); and the spent FRL(3802) comprises a cation/lignin matrix,organic and inorganic acid salts and organic matter yieldingco-products. The spent FRL may be treated by filtering using pyrolysischar as the filter medium yielding cation/lignin infused char plus spentFRL (3803) with organic acid salts, inorganic salts and organic matter.This treated spent FRL may be separated (3804) to yield a treated spentFRL which may be reused for fiber refinement (3805), and co-products(3806). comprising organic and inorganic salts and organic matter Insome embodiments, such as that described in FIG. 37 , the biomassminerals and non-lignin organic matter may be extracted from thecellulose components in a step preceding the lignin extraction. In thisembodiment, the biomass minerals and non-lignin organic matter areextracted from the biomass components together with the lignin. Theremoval of the lignin via the pyrolysis char method has all theadvantages previously described in relation to FIG. 37 , and allows foreasier separation of the other spent FRL components, especially viamembrane technologies, which again allows for cleaning of the spent FRLfor solution re-use, and for capturing the biomass extracts forcommercial use, especially in agriculture.

As shown in FIG. 39 , the process of FIG. 38 is further limited bycombining (3901) salts and organic matter to yield co-products relatedto mineral/lignin, salts and organic matter infused char (3902). Bycombining the salts and the non-lignin organic matter together with thelignin-infused char, the char becomes a carrier for these other biomassextracts when used as an agricultural supplement, enabling more completeuptake of the nutrients by crops through a slow release function, andhelping to prevent the leaching of such nutrients into the aquifer.

FIG. 40 shows an embodiment of the process beginning with non-woodlignocellulosic biomass (4001), refining said biomass (4003) with analkaline FRL(4002) comprising a maximum of 30 percent sodium cations,and the balance of alkali cations essentially composed of cations fromthe group including potassium, calcium, magnesium, and ammonium, whereinthe fiber refining process includes the extraction of silica (4003),resulting in refined fiber (4004) and a spent FRL containing alkalinesilicate (4005). The process is further limited by treating said spentFRL by combining (4007) with an agriculturally compatible acid (4006) insuch a way as to form salts and a silica gel within the treated spentFRL (4008); and in which the components of such a treated spent FRL mayadditionally be separated from solution (4009) to create a reusable FRLsolution (4010) and a salt/silica gel matrix (4011); and in which thesalt/silica gel matrix may additionally be dried (4012) to form adehydrated salt/silica gel matrix (4013). Non-wood lignocellulosicbiomass often has high levels of silica when compared to biomass fromtrees. Silica removal from non-wood biomass helps improve the quality ofthe refined fiber for many industrial end-uses, and silica removal isnormally achieved through alkali fiber refining treatments. Silicaextracts in spent FRLs make the wastewater challenging to deal with.Evaporation of the wastewater, to extract solids, leads to scaling ofpipes and high repair or replacement costs. If the silica is notextracted from solution, the high viscosity of the silica-containingsolutions can interfere with re-use of the spent FRL solution. The saltsproduced by the combination of the alkali and acid formulas specifiedherein make the salts contained within the spent FRL very suitable foragricultural use. A silica gel may be formed, via known methods, inorder to aid in the extraction of the silica from solution, and toenable the re-use of the spent FRL. The salts may be combined with thesilica gel to become a moisture retaining, slow nutrient release,soil-building fertilizer medium. When the mixture is combined, anddehydrated, the resultant solids become more easily transportable andmarketable. Agriculturally compatible acids are those from the groupincluding sulfuric, phosphoric, nitric and carboxylic acids, all ofwhich combine into beneficial salts when combined with the alkalichemicals of this process.

FIG. 41 shows a process as in FIG. 40 wherein the fiber refining processincludes the extraction of both lignin and silica (4101), resulting inrefined fiber and a spent FRL containing both an alkaline silicate and acation/lignin matrix (4102); and wherein the spent FRL is filtered withpyrolysis char to extract lignin thereby producing a cation/lignininfused char and a reduced cation/lignin treated spent FRL containingalkali silicate (4103); and in which such treated spent FRL may beadditionally treated by combining with an agriculturally compatible acidin such a way to form salts and a silica gel within the treated spentFRL; and in which this double treated spent FRL containing a salt silicagel matrix may be separated from solution creating a re-usable FRLsolution and a salt/silica gel matrix co-product; and which saidsalt/silica gel matrix co-product may additionally be combined (4104)with said cation/lignin infused char matrix to create a salt/silicagel/cation/lignin/char matrix (4105); and in which such a salt silicagel/cation/lignin/char matrix may be additionally dehydrated to form adehydrated salt/silica gel/cation/lignin/char matrix (4106). Bycombining the complex combination of 2 slow nutrient release, moistureretaining, and soil-structure building mechanisms, the silica and thechar, in the same agricultural supplement along with the targetagricultural salts and non-lignin organic matter, efficiencies inproduction, transport, and synergistic beneficial agriculturalproperties are gained; while at the same time enabling the viable re-useof the spent FRL solution.

FIG. 42 shows a process as in FIG. 20 , in which the refining processincludes the extraction of lignin (4201), and in which the spent FRLcontains a mineral/lignin matrix (4202) which may be used to extractco-products (4203). In addition, the spent FRL may be filtered to removemineral/lignin matrix (4204) using said pyrolysis char as the filtermedium, thus yielding mineral/lignin infused char (4205) and treated FRLsolution which may be reused for fiber refinement (4206). This processhas the same advantages as discussed in relation to FIG. 37 , but hasthe additional sustainable advantages of comprising a non-wood biomassderived alkali FRL with a co-produced biomass-derived pyrolysis char,again finding high value uses for ordinarily underutilized or pollutingmaterials.

FIG. 43 shows a process as in FIG. 42 , in which the refining processincludes the extraction of lignin, other organic matter, and minerals(4301), and in which the spent FRL (4302) contains a mineral/ligninmatrix, organic acid salts, inorganic acid salts, and organic matter.which may be used to extract co-products (4303). In addition, the spentFRL may be filtered (4304) to remove mineral/lignin matrix using saidpyrolysis char as the filter medium, thus yielding mineral/lignininfused char (4306) and treated FRL solution containing organic acidsalts, in organic acid salts, and organic matter (4305); and such atreated FRL may additionally be separated (4307) to remove organic acidsalts, inorganic acid salts, and organic matter co-products, (4309)producing a re-usable FRL solution (4308). This embodiment has the sameclosed loop advantages as discussed in relation to FIG. 42 with theco-product advantages as discussed in relation to FIG. 38 .

FIG. 44 shows a process as in FIG. 43 wherein the mineral/lignin infusedchar matrix is combined (4401) with the organic acid salts, inorganicacid salts and organic matter to produce an organic acid, inorganicacid, organic matter, mineral/lignin, char matrix (4402). Thisembodiment has the same closed loop advantages as discussed in relationto FIG. 42 with the co-product advantages as discussed in relation toFIG. 39 .

FIG. 45 shows a process as in FIG. 20 wherein the fiber refining processincludes the extraction of silica (4502), resulting in refined fiber anda spent FRL (4503) containing alkaline silicate; and in which the spentFRL is treated by combining (4504) with carboxylic acid (4501) derivedas co-product from said pyrolysis process creating a spent FRLcomprising carboxylate salts and silica (4505), in which co-products maybe captured from such solution (4506). Additionally, a gel may be formedfrom the silica in solution (4507), incorporating such salts (4508), andseparated (4509) from solution, creating a carboxylate salt/gel matrix(4511) and a re-usable FRL solution (4510). In addition, the carboxylatesalt/gel matrix may be dehydrated (4512) to create a dehydratedcarboxylate salt/silica gel matrix (4513). This embodiment has theadditional sustainable element added which is the use of the carboxylicacid co-generated from non-wood biomass during pyrolysis, along with thealkali chemicals used in the FRL. The carboxylic acids from pyroligneousorigin may come from the non-carbonic short-chain carboxylic acidspresent in pyroligneous acid, from carbonic acid derived from combustingany number of pyrolysis-derived fuels, or both. Carbonic acids used inthis reaction provide structural carbon to the soil and the non-carbonicshort-chain carboxylic acids provide organic carbons to the soil. Bothforms of carbon are beneficial to the soil. This embodiment of theprocess has the same process and product advantages as discussed inrelation to FIG. 40 of converting silica in a spent fiber refiningliquor from a liability into a significant asset, and creating a noveland useful agricultural supplement. In addition, it includes significantresource savings by taking advantage of non-wood biomass for both thealkali chemical and acid chemical production.

FIG. 46 shows a process as in FIG. 45 wherein the fiber refining processincludes the extraction of both lignin and silica (4602), resulting inrefined fiber and a spent FRL (4603) containing both a alkaline silicateand a mineral/lignin matrix which can derive associated co-products(4604); and wherein the spent FRL is filtered (4605) with said pyrolysischar to extract lignin thereby producing a mineral/lignin infused char(4606) and a reduced mineral/lignin treated spent FRL containing alkalisilicate (4607); and in which such treated spent FRL may be additionallytreated by combining (4608) with carboxylic acid (4601) derived asco-product from said pyrolysis, creating a double treated spent FRLcontaining carboxylate salt and silica (4609). Such treated spent FRLmay undergo a process to form a gel from the silica component (4610),whereon, upon separation (4612), a re-usable FRL solution (4613) and acarboxylate salt/silica gel matrix co-product (4614) is created; and,said carboxylate salt/silica gel matrix may be additionally be combined(4615) with said mineral/lignin matrix (4606) to produce a carboxylatesalt/silica gel/mineral/lignin, char matrix (4616), which may bedehydrated (4617) to form a dehydrated salt/silica gel matrix (4618).Such an embodiment includes the product and process advantages asdescribed in relation to FIG. 41 , and the sustainability advantages asdescribed in relation to FIG. 45 .

What is claimed is:
 1. A process comprising: mixing lignocellulosic biomass with an alkaline fiber reducing liquor—FRL—comprising alkaline chemicals with 70 percent or more of said FRL sum total cation molar weight comprising at least one from the group of potassium, ammonium, calcium, magnesium; limiting said sodium cation percentage to 30 percent or less of total cation molar weight portion of all alkaline chemicals within said FRL; refining said lignocellulosic biomass resulting in refined fiber and spent FRL containing a cation/lignin matrix; extracting lignin; capturing said refined fiber; capturing said spent FRL containing said cation/lignin matrix; capturing said spent FRL co-products; filtering said cation/lignin matrix using pyrolysis char; and producing re-usable FRL and cation/lignin infused char.
 2. A process comprising: mixing said lignocellulosic biomass with said alkaline fiber reducing liquor—FRL; refining said lignocellulosic biomass wherein the process includes extracting lignin and other organic and inorganic matter; capturing said refined fiber; capturing resulting spent FRL comprising cation/lignin matrix, organic acid salts, inorganic acid salts and organic matter; capturing said resulting FRL co-products; filtering cation/lignin matrix using said pyrolysis char; capturing lignin-reduced spent FRL comprising organic salts, inorganic salts and organic matter; and separating said lignin-reduced spent FRL to produce said re-usable FRL and separated organic salts, inorganic salts and organic matter.
 3. A process as in claim 2 further comprising: filtering said cation/lignin matrix and capturing cation/lignin infused char; combining said separated organic salts, inorganic salts and organic matter with said cation/lignin infused char; and capturing resulting cation/lignin, organic salts, inorganic salts, organic matter, and char matrix.
 4. A process comprising: mixing non-wood lignocellulosic biomass with said alkaline fiber reducing liquor—FRL; refining said non-wood lignocellulosic biomass wherein the process includes silica; capturing said refined fiber; capturing resulting spent FRL containing alkaline silicate; combining agriculturally-compatible acid with said spend FRL containing alkaline silicate producing spent FRL containing salt/silica gel; separating said spent FRL containing salt/silica gel to produce re-usable FRL and salt/silica gel matrix; and drying said salt/silica gel matric producing salt/silica dehydrated matrix.
 5. A process comprising: mixing said non-wood lignocellulosic biomass with said alkaline fiber reducing liquor—FRL; refining said non-wood lignocellulosic biomass wherein the process includes extracting cation/lignin matrix and alkaline silicate; capturing said refined fiber; capturing spent FRL containing cation/lignin matrix and alkaline silicate; filtering said spent FRL containing cation/lignin matrix and alkaline silicate using pyrolysis char so as to reduce cation/lignin producing reduced cation/lignin spent FRL containing alkaline silicate; producing cation/lignin infused char as result of said filtration of said spent FRL containing cation/lignin matrix and alkaline silicate; combining said agriculturally-compatible acid with said reduced cation/lignin spent FRL containing alkaline silicate producing spent FRL containing salt/silica gel; separating said spent FRL containing salt/silica gel to produce separate re-usable FRL and separate salt/silica gel matrix; combining said separate sale/silica gel matrix with said cation/lignin infused char producing salt/silica gel/cation/lignin/char matrix; and drying said salt/silica gel/cation/lignin/char matrix producing dehydrated salt/silica gel/cation/ligning/char matrix. 